PACS and RIS

Abstract

The digitization of radiographic imaging has been implemented for all diagnostic procedures in radiology, and digital reading has been accepted by the radiology community. Simultaneous establishment of a uniform and robust communication standard for the exchange and storage of image data (DICOM --- digital imaging and communication in medicine) has long fulfilled the prerequisites for the introduction of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and radiology information systems (RIS). In industrialized countries, the market penetration of both systems is between 60{\%} and 95{\%}, depending upon market segment and type of service provider. PACS, conceived more than 20 years ago, enables image communication between individual components such as archive systems, diagnostic workstations, postprocessing workstations, and image distribution workplaces. Typically, a RIS comprises a series of software modules supporting radiology workflow such as creation of orders, scheduling, reading, reporting, medical coding, recording of services, and interfaces to a billing system.